A Spoonful Of This Miracle Plant Can Replace a Whole Serving Of Vegetables

Moringa is a wonderful solution to a common problem created by the convenience of pre-packaged foods and eating-on-the-go mentality. The problem: People are just not eating enough vegetables and fruits. The solution: a spoonful of moringa can supplement your diet with nutrients equal to a whole extra serving of vegetables.

Sadly, considering the abundance of food available, the typical Western diet does not provide sufficient nutrients for one to stay healthy. As a result, the Western population seems plagued by chronic illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease, obesity and cancer.

Unless you’ve become very conscientious about your diet, you are probably not getting enough fruits and vegetables. The rule of thumb is that for every meal, about half your plate should be filled with produce. Yet, for many people, this is rarely the case. Here’s what the USDA estimates:

According to the dietary guidelines, an adult consuming 2,000 calories per day should be eating 2 1/2 cups of vegetables and 2 cups of fruit per day. This is quite a leap from the typical American diet, which includes a mere cup and a half of veggies and one cup of fruit per day, according to the USDA. (source)

Moringa’s Nutritional Punch

The moringa tree is a popular plant in tropical and subtropical climates of Central America, Asia and India. Also called “horseradish tree” due to its spicy flavor, it is a very potent source of plant-based nutrition.

According to Nutritionfacts.org, 100 grams or 1 cup of moringa leaves has the following nutrients:

Furthermore, a cup of moringa leaves also contains 19 percent of the recommended daily amount of Vitamin B6, in addition to 17 times more protein than milk and 10 times more Vitamin A than carrots. It is also packed with essential amino acids.

Moringa leaves can be eaten raw, and many people also dry them. In addition, moringa powder has become a popular supplement. Here is what Kuli Kuli, a producer of moringa foods and supplements, has to say about just one tablespoon of moringa powder:

If you’re veggie deprived, or find it difficult to get sufficient “greens” with every meal, moringa may be an ideal superfood supplement for you.

Health Benefits of Moringa

The nutrient-rich moringa is often called a “miracle plant” in its native lands. Ancient herbal medicine modalities, such as Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda, identify the plant as a detoxifier and nourishing tonic. These modalities use moringa to purify and nourish blood and muscle tissues, the bone marrow and fat tissues.

In the modern world, food researchers have discovered that moringa is a powerful antioxidant. Thus, it helps to fight off free radicals that bring on sickness and disease.

Our study demonstrates that methanolic extract of [Moringa] peregrina leaves possesses substantial antioxidant activities. The antioxidant potential of M. peregrina leaves extract may be attributed to its phenolic content as well as the presence of the flavonoids, rutin, which identified in this work. Thus, the free radical scavenging ability of M. peregrina could provide health benefits to humans by protection against oxidative stress.

Data suggest that moringa isothiocyanates are the main anti-obesity and anti-diabetic bioactives of moringa concentrate, and that they exert their effects by inhibiting rate-limiting steps in liver gluconeogenesis resulting in direct or indirect increase in insulin signaling and sensitivity. These conclusions suggest that moringa concentrate may be an effective dietary food for the prevention and treatment of obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Consequently, modern research confirms that moringa truly is a miracle plant. It has the potential to: